Improvement in seeding-machines



J. F. KIERSTEAD.

Grain-Drill.

Patented May 4-, 1858.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. KIERSTEAD, OF LA FORTE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEEDING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 20.162. dated May 4,1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. KIERSTEAD, of La Porte, in the county of LaPorto and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Im provedSeeding-Machine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure1 is a vertical section of myiinprovement, taken in the line was, Fig.2,and looking in the direction indicated bythearrow 1. Fig. 2 is also avertical section of same. taken in theline y y, Fig.1, and looking iuthedirection indicated by arrow 2. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of aportion of the seed-box. z 2, Fig. 1, indicate the plane ofsection.Fig.4 is adetached vertical section of the driving device.

a 2, Fig. 1, indicate the plane of section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

This invention relates to an improved machine for sowing seed broadcast;and it consists in a novel device employed for distributing the seed.

To enablethose skilled in the art to fullyunderstand and construct myinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A representsa horizontal rectangular frame, which is mounted on twowheels, B B.

G is the drivers seat, which is placed at the upper end of the inclinedbars or rods a a.

D is the seed-box,which is of the usualform, and placed on the frontpart of the frame A, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The lower part of theback side,b, of the hopper has rectangular openings 0 made through it,the lower edges of the openings being beveled downward from their innerto their outer edges, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The openings 0 arequite near each other, the spaces between being about equal to theirwidth, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. Within the seed-box D a perforatedmetal bar, E, is placed. This bar is fitted on itsedge in a recessintheinner side ofthe back side, I), of the box, and is allowed to workfreely therein. The perforations d of the barE have a pin, 6, attached,said pin passing through a recess in the back 11 of the box, and fittingin a. slot in the lower end of a lever, F, which is pivoted to the outerside of the back b of the box, as shown atf. Within the box D there isalso placed a horizontal metal bar, G, said bar being placedlongitudinally in the seed-box, and its ends bearing or resting on rods9, placed within the seed-box, one near each end. The bar Gis allowed toslide freely on the rods g, and to the under side of the bar a series ofpendants, h, are attached,thelower ends of which just clear the bottom11 of the seed-box. The pendants h are of quadrilateral form, and areeach so placed'that one edge or corner faces the opening 70 directlyopposite it in the back I), as shown clearlyin Fig. 3,there being apendant in line with eachopening. The bar G has a verticalpin,j,attached to its upper surface, and the forked end ofa lever, H,which passes through a slot, is, in the back side, I), of the box A,receives the pin j.

The lever H is pivoted to the frame A, as shown at l, and in the outerend of said lever the lower end of a bent lever, I, is fitted. The lowerend of the lever I, is rounded, and is fitted loosely in a hole in leverH, and the lever 1 is pivoted to an upright, J, on the frame, as shownat m. The outer end of lever I has a friction-roller, a, placed on it,and this roller is fitted and works in a scalloped or serpentine groove,0, made in a circular projection, J, at the inner side of the wheel B.

K is a horizontal bar, which is connected by a link, 19, with the outerend ofa bar, L, which has its fulcrum at g on the frame A. Thefulcrum-pin q passes through an upright, g, on the frame, and through anoblong slot in the bar K, and the frontendof the barrestsagainst a pin,r, which is fitted in either of a series of holes, s, in an upright, t,attached to theframe A. The bar K is connected by two rods, uu, to theframe A, the rods a being connected to eyes 12 12, attached to theframe, (see dotted lines, Fig. 1,) so that bar K may rise and fall, theeyes 0 being at the center of the movement, the oblong slot in the bar Kpermitting such movement of the bar K. To the bar K metal teeth 10 areattached. These teeth may be of shovel or other proper form, pivoted attheir lower ends. (See Fig. 2.)

Within the seed-box D, and directly overthe bar G, a stationary woodenbar, L, is placed,

and secured in any proper way. The under side of the barLisrecessed orrabbeted, so that it may receive the bar G, and the upper surface ofsaid bar is beveled downward toward the front side of the seed-box, asshown clearly in Fig. 1.

The operation is asfollows: The grain to be sown is placed within thebox D, and as the machine is drawn along areciprocating motion is giventhe bar G through the medium of the levers H I, and carried forward bythe serpentine groove 0 in the circular projection J on the wheel B. Thependants. h, as they move in front of their respective openings 0, causethe grain or seed to pass through said openings, and the capacity of theopenings maybe lecreased,if desired, to diminish the quantity of seed tobe sown on a given area by adjusting the bar E, so that its projections01 will be more or less out of register with the openings '0. The teethto on the bar K barrow or rake the seed into the ground, and the teeth wmay be elevated more or less in order to penetrate and the teeth w mayat any time be elevated entirely free from the ground, in order that'they may avoid obstruction, by merely placing the foot on the inner endof the bar L and depressing it.

Bythis improvement it will be seen thatthe discharge-openings c are allin view of the I do not claim separately the adjustable perforated barE, nor the reciprocating bar G, with its pendants h attached, for suchdevices or their equivalents have been previously used; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

The reciprocating bar G, provided with the pendants h, and theadjustable perforated bar E, in combination with the bar L, the partsbeing arranged relatively with each other and the discharge-openings 0,so as to operate as and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES F. KIERSTEAD.

Witnesses:

G. HATHAWAY, GEO. S SE MOUR.

